Soprano Sax Players

[impulse]

I`m struggling to with a sop and want to hear some experts play one. Can someone put me on to some CD titles where there is some good soprano sax being played? Hopefully where it might say soprano sax played by "xxx" so that I don`t have to guess that it is a sop playing and not a high alto. Thanks, Russ

 

[Bobby G]

John Coltrane plays some good soprano, very often at lightning speed, on any of the available versions of Favorite Things. Tubby Hayes was another predominantly tenor-player who played soprano (and vibes), there's examples on the Down in the Village and Late Spot at Scott's albums. Going back a few more decades, there's Sidney Bechet, who also taught Johnny Hodges soprano before Johnny switched to alto. Courtney Pine also plays a mean sop.

It hasn't been the most fashionable of horns over the years, but a lot of people started playing it after Trane used it, so although there's not as much soprano available as alto or tenor, it's definitely out. Most of the soprano I have on CD is as a featured instrument on some tracks, rather than being the sole horn that carries a whole album.

Cheers, Bob

 

[greg_strange]

Hi Russ,

I suppose the most famous soprano player over recent years has been (am I going to regret saying this)...Kenny G.

For jazz players try the late Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman who played with Miles Davis in the 1970s and Dave's student from the 1980s Bill Evans who also played with Miles in the 80s. Bill Evans' solo debut album "Living In The Crest Of A Wave" from the early 80s has some excellent soprano playing on it. As Bob mentioned above Coltrane, playing "My Favourite Things" is a good example and the grandfather (?) of jazz saxophone, Sidney Bechet.
Another UK player to check out besides Courtney Pine might be Lol Coxhill who plays a curved soprano and also Norwegian sax man Jan Garbarek.
If your into the pioneers of smooth jazz try Grover Washington Jnr on some tracks, and Sanborn's "As We Speak' album, has some tracks featuring soprano. Another guy that comes to mind in that vein is the late George Howard.

Regards,
Greg Strange,
New Zealand.

P.S. What make and model soprano sax are you playing at the moment?

 

[Pete Thomas]

I would add Wayne Shorter.

Also you have King Curtis on Saxello (which is more or less a soprano), check out Sould Serenade.

 

[tris]

Jan Garbarek, I'll second that... possibly the best living sax player full stop?

I have a soft spot for Bradford Marsalis' sop work too.

I would recommend that you get a copy of "We want Miles" it is an amazing live album and Bill Evans' tone is to die for... an amazing palette. Needless to say it is one of my fav discs and I have played those tunes sooo may times myself but the LP never looses it's magic!

 

[greg_strange]

Another sax player to check out is Oliver Nelson.
I have an album called "Sound Pieces" where Mr. Nelson plays the soprano sax through out the whole record. Part of the album is recorded with a quartet and the other part is recorded with a LA studio orchestra which comprises Plas Johnson, Bill Perkins and a whole bunch of LA session players from the 1960s.
In an interview published in Saxophone Journal magazine with Jay Beckenstein from Spyro Gyra, Jay commented his favourite soprano sax playing was ...Oliver Nelson. Mr. Nelson wrote a book called "Patterns For Improvisation" and wrote the music to the TV show "Six Million Dollar Man".

As Tris mentioned above Branford Marsalis' playing is good, excellent playing on some of Gordon Sumner's records (aka Mr. Sting) one track that comes to mind is "Sister Moon" from "Nothing Like The Sun" album.

Regards,
Greg Strange,
New Zealand.

 

[tengu01]

Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman also play soprano on most of their albums, although they're mostly known as alto and tenor players respectively

 

[impulse]

Hullo Greg and thanks for reply. Well what I have just bought is a new Yanagisawa 981. It is a straight sax with a little curve on the neck. It is a beautiful, expensive, instrument but I`m having a hard time getting an acceptable tone out of it. Hence the post for what is a good sop sax tone.
To all who have posted a reply, thank you. I`m finding some of the suggested titles hard to locate though. Maybe they are fairly old and not now readily available. Russ

t the moment?
[/quote]

 

[Bobby G]

Hi Russ. Recently, Pete sold an old soprano and posted a soundclip. If you can find that, he gets a lovely, mellow, almost alto-like depth of tone, quite unlike what has been described as the 'snake-charmer' i.e. more pierciing and reedy tone.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

I bought that sop in question and have done some recording with it in the studio at school.

I'll see if I can transfer the media so I can post it in the sound files section. I'm on easter holidays now though so it'll be three weeks.

It does indeed have the possibility of sounding very much like an alto, though it can have that haunting soprano almost eastern timbre as well. I had a session on the soprano yesterday in my kitchen (great acoustics!) and the tones were superb, I need to get a more open mouthpiece though, it closes up a bit too early at the moment, especially higher up.

That also raises a point, you might not be getting on with the mouthpiece you're using, maybe if you can find the time get down to your local music shop and try some different mouthpiece reed ligature combinations and ask one of the employee's opinion.

iTunes is a free download and you can get 30second snippets of most songs on there for free, no need to download anything unless you really like it. Should give you an idea of what to move towards.

 

[Bobby G]

As Pete has suggested often in the past, a Yamaha 4c is a good mouthpiece to start on, although I would expect a Yani to come with something reasonable (did it?). Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to everything if you've been playing a bigger horn. It's been said that even on a good soprano the intonation takes a bit more work - I found once that was under control I started having a lot of fun with my cheapie curved Artemis soprano, and get a tone I like, using a Selmer S80 mouthpiece. For a more edgy or reedy tone I use Rico Plasticovers (well, they were going cheap at Myatt's sale!), otherwise I can get my preferred smoother, fuller tone using Rico Royals, which will still give a bit of edge if pushed. Rico Jazz Select are ok too.

I wonder if Oxfordshire's finest soprano player, Monsieur Jambeau de la Dolnet has any advice 😉

Cheers, Bob

 

[impulse]

Oh if only I could get Pete`s lovely mellow tone! At the moment I`m using a Yamaha 4C. I`m using this because it sounds rounder and a little smoother than the Yanagisawa 5 MPC that came with the sax. I`m waiting (and waiting) on a Selmer C. The reeds are Rico but I have some Vandorans coming. If anyone has any other thoughts it would be appreciated because at the moment I reckon I could charm any snake out of his basket. Russ

 

[Linky Lee]

Selmer C is very small,

you could go to a D and not trouble yourself. The standard is the C*. It's very good but is still small in comparison to other mouthpieces and they are better I feel with the bigger openings.

I seem to much prefer a bigger opening to a harder reed. Not sure why, they seem to equate to about the same thing, only mouthpieces cost more 🙁

 

[howell68]

One of the few musicians who made soprano his only instrument rather than a now ubiquitous double with tenor following Coltrane was the late great Steve Lacy. He had a huge fat tone which in my opinion blew pretty much every one else out of the water. He also didn't play endless notes... Also worth checking is Lucky Thompson who took up soprano about the same time as Coltrane but with a very different conception. Also a Canadian player by the name of Jane Ira Bloom (I think) is worth listening to.

 

[jambo]

Bobby G wrote:

I wonder if Oxfordshire's finest soprano player, Monsieur Jambeau de la Dolnet has any advice 😉

Cheers, Bob

Thanks Bob! I'm not that great though 😛 I hope to do a soprano recording soon so I can put it up on the breakfast room.

as for my thoughts, I know people don't like him and hate his style of music, but if you just want to hear a good soprano tone, get a cheap Kenny G Cd. No-one can really deny that the Dude has a good tone, even if his music is 'terrible'.

I don't know of many other soprano players as I don't like Jazz but I think Phil Collins and Stings Music has some soprano in, and from what I remember it was pretty good.

p.s I use plasticover reeds on my soprano.... the helped me a nice smooth tone better than my other 'non-placticoverd' reeds

 

[Bobby G]

That's Branford Marsalis on Sting's records, isn't it?

Someone, many months ago (it may have been Ken Aust) recommended John Harle as being a soprano player with a beautiful tone. I believe Harle is tutoring Dr Robert Winston on 'Play It Again'.

Cheers, Bob

 

[spike]

let's hear it for the Brits -

Andy, Courtney, Frank, Pete and Snake, very, very good so-pra-no players each and every one of 'em.

gruss - spike